%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2017 %T Overcoming Barriers to Experimentation in Business-to-Business Living Labs %A Ruben D’Hauwers %A Aron-Levi Herregodts %A Annabel Georges %A Lynn Coorevits %A Dimitri Schuurman %A Olivier Rits %A Pieter Ballon %K B2B %K experimentation %K living labs %K testing %K user research %X Business-to-business (B2B) living lab projects have been mentioned in different areas of academic research, but the innovation management literature requires deeper analysis of their potential opportunities and challenges. Real-life experimentation is a key requirement for living labs as it enables deeper insights in the potential success of innovations. However, the literature has not provided insights on how living lab projects can implement real-life experimentation in B2B innovation projects and does not describe appropriate conditions for experimentation in these settings. In this study, we identified three main barriers preventing real-life experimentation in B2B living lab projects: the technological complexity, the need for integration, and the difficulty in identifying testers. The barriers are discussed in detailed and potential solutions are provided to help overcome these barriers and stimulate the adoption of real-life experimentation in B2B innovation projects. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 7 %P 20-26 %8 02/2017 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/1054 %N 2 %1 imec – SMIT – VUB Ruben D’Hauwers is a Researcher at imec-SMIT-VUB in Belgium. He holds a master’s degrees in Business Engineering (2011) and Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2013). He has also worked in the field of business development in two different organizations. He joined imec in 2014 and focuses on business-to-business research, business modelling, and on capturing and validating the assumptions throughout the innovation process. %2 imec – MICT – Ghent University Aron-Levi Herregodts is a User Expert at imec.livinglabs and an affiliated researcher at imec – MICT – Ghent University in Belgium. He holds master’s degrees in Communication Sciences (2013) and Complementary Business Economics (2014). As a user expert, his role is to translate user behaviour, needs, and wants into tangible recommendations to provide structure to the innovation process of both SMEs and large organizations. His main research interests include open innovation, user innovation, organizational learning, intermediary activities, and user-centric design and methodologies. He is also preparing a PhD on the configuration of intermediary user-oriented activities with innovation-relevant actors for distinct types of entrepreneurs and innovations. %3 imec – MICT – Ghent University Annabel Georges is a Junior Researcher in the research group at imec – MICT – Ghent University in Belgium. She holds a master’s degree in Communication Sciences from Ghent University, with a specialization in New Media and Society. Her main interests are domestication theory, field tests, and improvements to living lab practices. %4 imec – MICT – Ghent University Lynn Coorevits is a Senior User Researcher for imec – MICT – Ghent University in Belgium, where she focuses on tools and techniques for open and user innovation, such as sensors and design thinking. Her current research focuses on the adoption and attrition of wearables as well as optimization of context integration in living lab projects. She works on several SME living lab projects ranging from the financial to social industry. She holds master’s degrees in Psychology and in Marketing Analysis from Ghent University and has 9 years of experience in innovation research and consultancy. %# imec – MICT – Ghent University Dimitri Schuurman is the Team Lead in User Research at imec.livinglabs and a Senior Researcher at imec – MICT – Ghent University in Belgium. He holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences from Ghent University. Together with his imec colleagues, Dimitri developed a specific living lab offering targeted at entrepreneurs in which he has managed over 100 innovation projects. Dimitri is responsible for the methodology and academic valorization of these living lab projects and coordinates a dynamic team of living lab researchers. His main interests and research topics are situated in the domains of open innovation, user innovation, and innovation management. His PhD thesis was entitled Bridging the Gap between Open and User Innovation? Exploring the Value of Living Labs as a Means to Structure User Contribution and Manage Distributed Innovation. %$ SMIT Olivier Rits holds a master’s degree in Applied Physics (Engineering) from the Ghent University in Belgium. Previously, Olivier worked as a business developer for Alcatel-Lucent, where he was involved with many different technologies. Within SMIT, Olivier is leading the business modelling practice in the context of SME living lab innovation projects. With a team of researchers, he is organizing business model workshops and stakeholder interviews to apply business model methodologies to link the user feedback and insights to the business model aspects of the SME’s strategy. Olivier is also involved in business modelling efforts in research projects dealing with ICT in general, with a specific interest in M2M and IoT and mobile telecommunications. %] imec.livinglabs Pieter Ballon is the Academic Lead of imec.livinglabs, the International Secretary of the European Network of Living Labs, and Director of the research group imec-SMIT at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. He specializes in business modelling, open innovation, and the mobile telecommunications industry. Formerly, he was Senior Consultant and Team Leader at TNO. From 2006–2007, he was the coordinator of the cross issue on business models of the Wireless World Initiative (WWI), which united five integrated projects in the European Union’s 6th Framework Programme. Pieter holds a PhD in Communication Sciences from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and an MA in Modern History from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1054